The present invention relates to an apparatus for collecting and transmitting solar energy and, more particularly, to an apparatus for collecting with a lens system light beams including light components for a predetermined purpose and transmitting these light beams through a light guide to a desired place so as to utilize the solar energy for the predetermined purpose.
Recently, effective utilization of solar energy has received great attention and extensive studies and further developments have been made in various fields. The mainstream of these developments is represented by conversion of solar energy to another form of energy such as thermal energy, electrical energy or the like and utilization of the energy in the converted form. However, it is also proposed that solar energy be directly utilized for a certain purpose. For example, the beam of sunlight may be focused with a lens system and led to a light guide, so that the light guide transmits the light beam to a desired place for illumination.
When sunlight is used for a special purpose, light components necessary for this purpose are preferably selectively collected and transmitted. For example, when solar energy is to be utilized for illuminating natural colors of clothes, white light which contains all components is preferably used.
Further, solar energy may be utilized for growing plants at the bottom of the sea. As a matter of fact, only bluish green light components reach the deep sea (100 m deep or more), and plants which grow with bluish green light components grow in the deep sea. On the other hand, since red light components are transmitted to the shallow sea (less than 100 m. deep), the plants which grow with red light components grow in the shallow sea. Therefore, if light which mainly includes more red light components is transmitted to the deep sea, shallow sea plants can be grown in the deep sea. On the other hand, if light which mainly contains bluish green light components is transmitted to the bottom of the shallow sea, deep sea plants can be grown there.
Further, artificial culture of spirula and chlorella with solar energy may be performed.
Solar energy may also be utilized for raising animals, improving a health condition, performing therapies, and as a fishing light source (green) for catching fish.
In these cases, all light components of solar energy are required for some purposes or specific light components thereof must be selected for others. Recently, light components of solar energy have often been utilized selectively. However, it is doubtful that desired light components are utilized effectively.
For example, when solar energy is focused with a Fresnel lens or the like and directed to a light guide, and the light guide transmits the beam of sunlight to a desired place for a specific purpose, focal positions of light components differ in accordance with their wavelength. The focal length of the red light components is long, while the focal length of the blue light components is short. In particular, when sunlight is focused with a Frensel lens of 35 cm in diameter, the diameter of the image becomes about 4 mm. Further, when light components of sunlight are to be led to a light guide of 4 mm in diameter, the spectral distribution of the sunlight coupled thereto changes according to which light component is selected to be correctly focused on a light-receiving end face of the light guide.
Therefore, if all the light components of sunlight focused with the lens system and directed to the light guide are transmitted, a beam of sunlight which contains desired light components cannot be obtained.